Pieces of You
by UglyxDuckling
Summary: It was just suppose to be a one night stand. That was it. Clarke wasn't supposed to drag him head first into the life she never chose for herself. She didn't want him mixed up in all of this. Clarke was going to be the death of him.
1. Chapter 1

**So this is my first fanfic and I'm really just testing the waters here. I couldn't get this idea out of my head. I'm still debating on how long I'm going to actually make this story, but feel free to review to let me know if you like it! I hope you enjoy!**

…

Clarke wasn't stupid. She wasn't blind to the reasons her family had the money they did. She wasn't ignorant to what happened behind the closed doors to her father's study. There were reasons that cops turned the other way when coming into contact with her. Reasons why her high school boyfriend had mysteriously gotten the snot beat out of him a day after he broke her heart. Her father liked to think that she was innocent. That he sheltered her from the work that he did. That it was just his fatherly love that required her to be at the college in her hometown instead of his incessant need to protect her from his rivals and enemies. But Clarke knew. She wasn't stupid.

Even now, as Clarke walked through the back entrance to one her father's many night clubs, she knew that not even half of the family money came from these clubs. It was just a secure way for her father to launder the money he made in his other businesses.

The bass of the music reverberated in her chest. She relished in the intensity of the feeling mixed with the feel of the sequined dress that hugged her curves and flowed to the floor. She knew her father would have something to say about how the neckline plunged, but the way that the dress shimmered while she walked under the pulsating lights of the dance club made it worth it. Guys turned their heads as she walked by; she felt powerful.

She paused only slightly in her stride for the men outside of her father's booth to lift the velvet rope for her. Briefly kissing her father on the cheek, she took a seat across the table from him. Immediately as she sat down, a wine glass was filled with her father's favorite red wine and set in front of her. She looked up from her sip just in time to see his disapproval at amount of cleavage she was sporting.

"It's nice to see you, Sweetie. I'm glad you could find time away from your school work to have dinner with us." Jake Griffin's tipped his wineglass towards his daughter before taking a long drink from it. Clarke sent him a small smile in reply and tried her best to ignore the looks from the young man next to her. She had hoped it would be just her and her father for dinner, but it looked like he was using her as a distraction tactic for making deal with the Murphys. John Murphy had always expressed an interest in her and she was sure at some point her father would accept some type of marriage contract in order to keep her close to the family and maybe even get some more power over the city from it.

"You look good tonight." John Murphy's voice was like too sweet honey and she tried her best to not show how it grated on her ears. Instead, she busied herself in cutting the chicken breast that the staff had placed in front of her.

"That means so much coming from you, Murphy." Her tone held an underlying bite of sarcasm to indicate to him that she wasn't here for him to look at. She could feel her father's glare across the table without even looking up from her plate. Murphy's father let out a loud laugh.

"Your girl has a cobra's tongue here, Jake!" Thomas Murphy wiped under his eyes like his laughter had brought tears.

The moment passed and the two heads of houses fell into an intense business conversation. Clarke tuned out their vague phrases and cryptic words that they used to hide the real topic of their discussion. She picked at her chicken without really eating it, but motioned for the staff to refill her wine glass. She was on her third, but lord knew how she was going to need it to get through this night. Her gaze wandered out to the dance floor and she wished she had cancelled her dinner plans with her father so that she could've gone to the party that was being thrown back on campus. All of her friends were there already. Clarke was torn from her drifting thoughts when she felt a cold hand through the sequins on her thigh. Her eyes narrowed into slits when she saw Murphy's smirk.

"You wanna keep that hand?" Clarke hissed through her teeth so that their fathers wouldn't hear. They were in some argument about which club was the best to deliver the shipment of "whiskey" to. Clarke almost rolled her eyes.

Murphy responded to her by inching his hand higher. Glancing to make sure her father was distracted, Clarke kicked out with her stiletto and nailed Murphy's shin with it. He let out a yelp and retracted his hand quickly, but both of their fathers' heads turned in their direction. Clarke quickly put her napkin on the table and moved to stand up.

"I really have to get back to campus to work on a paper. Thanks for dinner, Dad." She leaned to kiss her father on the cheek.

Jake Griffin's face openly showed his disappointment. "I'm glad you're taking school so seriously. Come home and visit your mom and I this week. We've hardly seen you since move in."

Clarke felt a twitch of remorse for neglecting to go home for so long. It was quickly disappeared at the thought of how smothered she was at home. "Sure thing, Pop." She flashed a quick smile to Thomas Murphy and made her way out of the club.

…

The air was considerably cooler outside of the club and Clarke took her time walking to her car. She pulled out her cell phone and dialed the familiar number of her best friend. When Raven answered, Clarke could hardly hear her from the noise in the background.

"Clarke?"

"Hey, Rae. Where are you guys at? I could use a drink stronger than my dad's wine."

Raven's laugh was harsh and loud over the phone receiver. "I'll text you the address."

Clarke smiled before she hung up. She climbed in her car and started in the direction of her own apartment to change.

…

Bellamy was leaning on the wall in the crowded house. Finn had dragged him to this party against his own will. Apparently he wasn't allowed to be a hermit his senior year of college. Who cared that he had papers to do research for and jobs to apply for after graduation. Who cared that he had slacked off so much the previous three years that he really needed to focus if he wanted to graduate. Who needed to graduate high school and move out into the real world, right?

His eyes found Finn flirting with a drunken freshman across the room, just in time to witness her scribble her number on a piece of paper and hand it to him. The girl giggled and stumbled away to join her giggling, drunk friends. Finn shoved the number in his pocket and strode confidently over to stand with Bellamy on the wall.

"The freshmen this year, man. I'm telling you. They get easier and easier."

Bellamy scoffed at his friend's remark and brought his beer bottle to his lips. "If only you put this much effort into school."

"Always the wet blanket, Bell." Finn grinned at him and opened a new bottle of whiskey. "I don't know how you ever get girls." He poured the amber liquid into a plastic cup and handed it to him. "At least get drunk with me. Maybe then you'll be fun." He teased and held the cup out.

Bellamy scoffed and grudgingly took the cup. "You're a barrel of laughs, Collins."

Finn rolled his eyes. "Fine. If you can out-drink me tonight, I will never pull you out to another party that you don't want to go to."

He smirked and held out his hand. "You're on." He chugged his cup mid handshake.

…

Clarke's sank the ping pong ball into the last red plastic cup on the table her head spun at the cheers that went out around the table. She threw her arms around Raven and they burst into a rendition of _We are the Champions_ that consisted more of drunken screaming than it did actual singing. The girls giggled and Clarke glanced down at the empty cup in her hand.

"Refill." She slurred to Raven over the music of the party and shook her cup for emphasis on its emptiness. Raven yelled for her to hurry back and turned to reset the cups on their side of the table.

Clarke stumbled into the kitchen and aggressively pushed through the crowd to the keg. With her cup full, she turned and felt herself run into a hard body. Her cup tumbled to the floor, spilling the bitter liquid all over her shoes. She first glanced at the puddle she was now standing in and was ready to give the person a piece of her mind for standing too close to her.

She looked up into a flurry of freckles and curls.

…

They stumbled down the hallway as best they could without removing their lips from each other. Clarke's mind was hazy from the alcohol and she could hardly feel how much pressure she was leaning into him, but his lips tasted like the beach and his scent overwhelmed her and turned her on at the same time.

Her back was shoved firmly against a hard surface and she felt his hand behind her fumbling for the door knob. They fell backwards into the room when the door finally opened and he caught her before she made contact with the floor. Using his foot to shut the door, he gently pushed her towards the bed. The backs of her knees made contact with the mattress and she wrapped her fingers in his curls, drunkenly reveling in their softness before using them to pull him to her face.

…

Clarke heard herself let out a low, deep sigh at the feel of lips on her inner thigh.

…

He let out a guttural moan and his fingers gripped her hips so tightly, it was sure to leave bruises the next day.

…

"God, you're amazing."

His voice was rough, but soothing and landed on Clarke's ears like butter. She found herself thinking how much she preferred smooth butter over too sweet honey.

…

Clarke stirred from the deep sleep she was in to roll onto her stomach. Her hair – frizzy from the events of the night before – fell in her face and tickled her nose, but she refused to move to brush it away for fear that the energy would wake her up more than she wanted to be. Already her head was pounding with a hangover and the small amount of sun leaking through the slits in the blinds was making it worse. She buried her face even farther into the pillow and took a deep breath in. The smell of the beach and driftwood invaded her senses.

Her eyes flew open and she stared at the unfamiliar dark blue of the sheets.

She laid still for a moment to hear the soft breathing of someone next to her. Resisting all instinct that was buzzing in her muscles to jump out of bed immediately, she calculated each movement in order to make the least amount of noise possible and slowly stood from the bed. Clothes were thrown haphazardly around the room and she looked down at her bare body, covered in love bites and fingerprint bruises. She grabbed her bra off of the lampshade and turned her back to the man sleeping in the bed and dressed as quietly as possible. She pulled her long, blonde hair into a high ponytail and took almost a full minute to turn the door knob so that it didn't creak. When she finally got the door open, she breathed out a sigh of relief.

"What, no awkward hug goodbye?"

Clarke froze in her tracks, her already large eyes widened in surprise. She slowly turned away from the door and had the decency to look sheepish at the man who was taking care to sit up in the bed. The sheets dropped to his waist and Clarke's eyes automatically slid over his tanned body, her eyes automatically dilating in arousal. She quickly realized her eyes betrayal and snapped her eyes back up to his face and focused on his deep, brown eyes.

"You know, I value my personal space."

"Oh I really got that message last night." His lips turned up in a smirk as her eyes narrowed at his sarcasm.

A few strays fell from her ponytail and she awkwardly brushed them to the side. "Raincheck." Without waiting for a response, she spun on her heel and walked down the long, dimly lit hallway as quickly as she could without actually running. At the end of the hallway, she came out into a small kitchen/living room combination where another boy with shoulder length brown hair stared at her with wide eyes.

Clarke cleared her throat and dipped her head down, muttering a "Morning," and crossed the room to leave out the front door of the small apartment.

…

Bellamy walked out of the bathroom, drying his hair with the towel in his hand and a pair of sweatpants hung low on his waist. His wet hair was already curling as he rubbed the moisture out of it and he meandered into the kitchen. Picking up the half empty pot of cold coffee, he poured some into his mug and put it into the microwave to reheat. He heard Finn clear his throat behind him and turned to lean against the counter behind him. He hung the towel around his shoulder and raised his eyebrow at the laptop in front of Finn.

"Are you actually doing homework?"

"So you and that blonde girl from the party, huh?" Finn ignored Bellamy's dig about doing homework and didn't look up from his laptop.

"What of it?" Bellamy turned to pull his mug out of the microwave and blew on it before taking a scorching gulp. He relished in the burning feel of the black coffee hitting his stomach. It was the best thing to have after a long night of drinking.

"You guys talk much? How much do you know about her?"

"Sorry, Mom. I didn't even get her name."

Finn rolled his eyes at Bellamy's implication that he was being like a mother hen.

"Clarke Griffin."

Bellamy froze mid sip. His eyes widened and his lips were slightly parted above the steaming mug. "You know her?" He asked after a short pause.

"Everyone in this city knows her, Bellamy."

He let out a small chuckle that rumbled down in his ribs and he gently set his unfinished coffee on the counter. "Don't tell me, I slept with the Princess of Ark City last night."

Finn tapped his fingers on the keyboard impatiently. "Something like that." He turned his laptop to face Bellamy and pushed it closer to him. Bellamy leaned down and rested his elbows on the table as he read the old newspaper article that his roommate had pulled up.

His eyes were drawn first to the picture of the blonde that was in his room a few hours before. Her hair was pulled off of her face and she held her hands behind her back in a dignified position. She wore a simple pencil skirt and blouse and stood between a man and a woman dressed impeccably in clothing he would never be able to afford in his life. His eyes drifted up to the bold caption that read _Jake Griffin Avoids Conviction._

"What the hell is this?" Bellamy asked, glancing over the top of the laptop to see his roommate staring at him to see his reaction.

"That's Clarke Griffin, Bellamy. Jake Griffin is one of the most powerful mobsters in Ark City. You slept with the pride and joy of the Griffin crime family."


	2. Chapter 2

**I cannot believe the amount of love that I've received for this story already! I wanted to write the second chapter sooner, but I was busy drowning my liver in whiskey to get through my finals week. Anyway, I'm here now and hoping this second chapter gets just as much love!**

 **I'd also like to say that I sneezed and erased half of this chapter so this is how my life is going at this point.**

XOXO

"You're smothering me, Bell."

"I'm checking up on you, O. It's your first time on your own."

Green eyes narrowed at the tanned boy in front of her.

"If you're calling me every night I'm not really on my own, am I?" Octavia's tone was sickly sweet and she cocked her head to the side with a sarcastic smile gracing her lips.

Bellamy let out an agitated breath that blew the fringe out of his eyes. "Okay, I'll try to lay off. Maybe I'll only call every other day." The corners of his lips tilted up as he pushed away from the table and stood. He leaned down and kissed the top of his little sister's dark hair.

She couldn't help the way the smile on her face spread. "Shut up, Bell."

Bellamy walked backwards and held his hands up while he half shrugged. "And come over more often, O. My apartment is only a 15 minute bus ride across campus. You don't have to pretend that you don't go to school with your big brother." Kissing his fingers and blowing her a kiss, he turned and felt the wind get knocked out of him when something solid slammed into his stomach.

"Seriously, man? Is this your M.O. or something?"

Wind rushed back into his lungs and he looked on the ground in front of him to see a mess of books and blonde.

No words could escape his mouth as he just gaped at the girl on the floor in front of him.

"Clarke!"

Bellamy registered that his little sister was running to help the girl that had plagued his dreams for the last month. He watched, open mouthed, while the two scrambled to collect her fallen books.

"I'm so sorry about that Clarke. Bellamy was just _leaving_." Octavia glared at her older brother while she helped the blonde to her feet.

The blonde turned her baby blues onto him and brushed the fly away hairs out of her face much like she had the morning she attempted to sneak out of his room.

"Bellamy…" His lower stomach twinged at the sound of her trying his name on her tongue. Her head tilted slightly to the side and he tried not to react to how innocent it made her look. "Cat got your tongue?" She winked at him and his stomach twinged again.

"Bye Bellamy…" Octavia emphasized, glaring daggers at him as she linked her arm through Clarke's and dragged her to the table.

Shaking his head didn't clear it from the fog like he had hoped and he made his way to the coffee shop entrance as quickly as his long limbs would take him. With one more glance back at the two girls laughing and talking at the table, he walked out of the café.

Octavia watched her brother leave and then turned her eyes to her study partner. "I've never seen Bellamy so flustered. Do you guys know each other?"

Clarke choked on the sip of coffee that she was stealing from Octavia's mug. Sputtering, she pounded her hand on her chest and tried to stop coughing. "We uhh… We've… Run into each other a couple of times." Clarke worded her sentence carefully and averted her gaze to the open textbook in front of her.

"Huh…" Octavia chewed her bottom lip and narrowed her eyes in thought. "Maybe he's just having an off day." The brunette shrugged one shoulder and pulled her mug out of Clarke's grasp.

…

Bellamy had tried to get the blonde out of his mind the rest of the day. He had tried everything. He had gone to work and was so distracted that he served the wrong food to his tables twice. Faking a headache, he took off early and attempted to work on homework in hopes of forgetting about the girl that he had promised himself he'd stay away from. He was currently tipped back in his chair and balancing his pencil between his nose and his lip when he heard his roommate walk through the front door.

"Ah, I see you're getting a lot done." Finn joked as he opened the fridge to grab a beer. Bellamy answered by throwing his pencil at Finn's bent over form. Finn chuckled as he searched for their bottle opener in one of their drawers.

"I ran into Clarke Griffin today." Bellamy stared at his hands on the table while he said it. Finn stopped mid search and turned to face his roommate.

"Yeah? How's the town's dangerous little blonde bombshell?"

"Friends with my sister apparently."

A line appeared between Finn's eyebrows and he set his beer on the counter. "Do you think it's a good idea for Octavia to be around her? Considering…" Finn trailed off.

"What, considering that I hooked up with her and couldn't get her out of my head for a month? Or considering that she's neck deep in organized crime?"

Finn pursed his lips in thought. "We need to get drunk tonight."

And for once, Bellamy didn't object.

…

The three girls walked up the dimly lit stairwell. The clicking of their heels could hardly be heard over the pulsing music playing in the apartment at the end of the hallway. The apartment building reeked of weed and cigarettes and the apartment itself was already overflowing with people by the time they reached the door.

The three of them squeezed through the crowd and tried to find the source of the alcohol. A few shots in and they were standing in the corner of the kitchen, each nursing their own red solo cup.

"A bit crowded in here!" Raven yelled over the music and looked around at the all the people milling about.

"We won't stay long." Clarke answered and scanned the crowd herself, attempting to recognize some of the faces in the crowd other than seeing them around campus.

"I kinda like it." Octavia rocked to the music where she stood and smiled devilishly at a group of guys staring at her. "Come dance with me!" She demanded and grabbed both of their hands.

Clarke slipped her hand out of the tight grip and laughed. "I'll sit this one out!"

Raven looked back at her with a look of loathing as Octavia pulled her on the crowded dance floor. Knocking back her drink, she glanced around the kitchen to a few people doing more shots and smirked as she made her way over to them.

…

Bellamy didn't usually dance. His brooding, but mysterious personality could usually pull girls from his spot on the wall. But on this particular night, he had consumed more alcohol than he had in a long time and when the girl he was shamelessly flirting with dragged him to the dance floor, he didn't object. Her back was now to him and his hands slid from her hips to her ass and back again and dare he say it – he was having a good time.

Until he heard her laugh over the music.

His eyes shot up and locked onto his little sister dancing between two guys. Rage boiled inside of him and suddenly he was walking away from his sure lay and towards his giggling sister. Without thinking, he shoved one of the guys as hard as he could and then grabbed Octavia's wrist to yank her away from the other.

"What the fuck, man?!" One of the guys yelled and Bellamy responded by winding back and slamming his fist into his nose. Blood gushed as the guy brought his hands up to try to stop the bleeding.

"Bellamy we were just dancing!" Octavia angrily yelled, trying to pull her wrist out of his hand.

"Not any more you're not. I'm taking you home."

"Like hell you are." Octavia finally pulled her wrist from his grip. He glared at his little sister, trying not to notice how little of a dress she had on. His anger was making it hard to focus on one thing at a time. He was caught off guard by the other guy retaliating and landing a hard punch to Bellamy's jaw.

Stunned, Bellamy rubbed his jaw before zeroing in on the culprit and throwing his entire body weight on him to knock him to the floor. He was blinded by rage as he landed punch after punch. He hardly noticed that the music had stopped or that Octavia was pulling desperately on his arm to get him off. There was on voice that cut above the rest.

"Bellamy, what the hell are you doing?!"

Dark eyes looked up into blue. His bloodied fists stopped and he vaguely registered Octavia crying in frustration. The entire time he stood, his eyes never left Clarkes. Sirens could be heard from down the street.

"Well I think we've worn out our welcome." Raven stated lightly as she directed Bellamy and the other two girls quickly to the door. On the street, they waved down a taxi and pulled away from the curb just as the cop cars were pulling up. The car ride back to the dorms was silent with the exception of Octavia's sniffling. She was drunkenly passed out before the taxi pulled in front of their dorm building.

"I can carry her to her room." Bellamy offered as the taxi doors opened.

"I think you've done enough for the night." Clarke countered as she stood in the cool night air.

"Yeah? And how do you expect to get her up the stairs, Princess?"

Her eyes narrowed both at the nickname and the tone that he took with her.

"Just let him, Clarke. I'm exhausted." Raven rolled her shoulders and walked into the dorm carrying her heels. Clarke let out an irritated huff and moved so that Bellamy could scoop Octavia into his arms. He followed behind her into the building and slowly began to walk the stairs up to the fourth floor. Raven was already in the double that she shared with Octavia by the time the other two reached the floor.

Kicking her door open, Bellamy laid Octavia gently on the bed and reached down to remove her heels. He pulled her pink comforter up to her chin and smoothed her hair back from her face. When she slept, she reminded him so much of how he would take care of her when she was little. His head spun at the turn of events and he glanced down at the cuts on his knuckles. As the adrenaline was fading, they were beginning to ache and his jaw didn't feel too great either.

"I'm so sorry, O." he whispered before leaning down and kissing her forehead. He glanced at Raven's side of the room to see her already snoring in bed and tried to leave the room as quietly as possible. When the door finally clicked shut, he let out a sigh and leaned his forehead against the thick, wooden door. "How did I mess up this badly?" He muttered to himself, eyes closed.

"It probably had something to do with the alcohol-induced rage you were in."

He spun around to see Clarke leaning against the door frame of the room across the hall. She had changed out of her tight fitting party dress and into a pair of sleeping shorts and a tank top that dipped down to give him an ample view of cleavage. He paused slightly and then tore his eyes away and back up to her face.

"Stay away from her. She doesn't need your influence in her life." Bellamy turned and stalked down the hallway away from her.

"Excuse me?" Clarke called out to him. "You can't wrap her in bubble wrap and tell her to stay in her room. She has to go out and have her own experiences. She has to live!"

Bellamy stopped suddenly and turned on his heel to stomp back to her. "What she needs is to find people who actually have her best interests at heart and won't get her drunk at a party to make bad decisions with two scum bags." He stopped in front of her angrily.

"Oh, I don't have her best interest at heart? So I should've let you keep beating that guy to death in front of her. Yeah that's healthy." Clarke argued, crossing her arms. The stance caused her breasts to push up more than normal and Bellamy swallowed thickly but kept his eyes on her face. He couldn't afford to be distracted in this argument.

"She shouldn't have been at that party in the first place."

"She can make her own decisions! She doesn't need you there to watch over her like some guard dog every moment of her life! You're going to drive her away." Clarke looked up at him defiantly. Bellamy leaned in dangerously close to her face, but Clarke was too stubborn to take a step back.

"Don't tell me how to handle my own sister, Princess." Bellamy's spoke in almost a whisper, but it still held the tone of a warning. He mistakenly looked away from her eyes to watch the tip of her tongue dart out to wet her lips and his eyes dilated in response. Seeing his eyes dilate caused Clarke's breath to hitch in her throat and suddenly they were both stone cold sober. Bellamy took another step closer so that her breasts were barely touching his chest and his fingers reached forward to lightly skim the exposed skin on her stomach between the top of her shorts and the bottom of her tank top.

"Bellamy…" Clarke breathed his name out airily and the sound of it made his lower stomach twitch again. She meant it as a warning, but it came out more like a plea. He locked his eyes with her to see her pupils dilated just as much as his were.

Without thinking twice, he grabbed her face in his hands and forced her lips to his. She responded eagerly, grabbing him by the collar to pull him into her room. He kicked the door shut with his foot and attacked her lips again.

…

Bellamy glided his fingers up and down her exposed back as she curled into him. Her breathing was heavy and every so often a limb would twitch to indicate that she was in a deep sleep. His fingers slid up to brush her blonde hair off of her shoulder and he looked down at her peaceful face. He knew they shouldn't have slept together again. But now Bellamy was afraid he wouldn't be able to stop. Clarke Griffin was in his veins and he wasn't sure he was strong enough to give up her high. He closed his eyes and attempted to fall asleep, but the sound of his roommate's voice drifted into his thoughts.

' _You slept with the pride and joy of the Griffin crime family.'_

Bellamy let out a long breath through his nose.

Well shit.


	3. Chapter 3

**Holy moly it's been 3 years… So much has changed but I had the overwhelming urge to write again so here it is. Hopefully I get back into the swing of things. Let me know what you think!**

 **XOXO**

Two weeks had gone by without incident. Two weeks of Bellamy keeping his distance from his sister's building; insisting that they meet out for coffee, or at the library, or at his apartment. Anywhere Bellamy could ensure he wouldn't run into the blonde plaguing his thoughts. And god, was he having thoughts. He absentmindedly toyed with the pen in his hand, mind racing to things he most certainly shouldn't be thinking while in a public setting.

His concentration was snapped back to the present by a straw wrapper bouncing off of his forehead.

"Earth to Bellamy." Finn's voice cut through Bellamy's daydream. "Did you make a decision?"

"A decision?" Bellamy questioned and wiped his palms on his pants legs. A nervous habit he hadn't been able to shake since childhood.

Finn feigned hurt as he placed his hand over his heart. "Bellamy Blake… were you… ignoring me?" Bellamy rolled his eyes and tapped his fingers on the table between them.

"Can it, Collins. Just tell me again."

"I _said_ ," Finn looked at his roommate pointedly, "will you help me at this catering event? It's going to be good money. I'm talking, make-our-rent-in-one-night kind of money." Finn rubbed his fingers together to emphasize his point.

Bellamy groaned and leaned his chair back on two legs, teetering dangerously. He tossed his pen on the table in front of him and watched it roll across his open notebook. "Yeah, sure. I love to dress in uncomfortable clothes and serve the undeniably rich on my days off from this hell. You truly get me."

Finn blatantly ignored the biting sarcasm as he pulled his phone out to shoot a text to his boss, letting him know that he had found extra help. "You might want to tone down the dramatics, Blake. I'll start calling you Octavia."

The front legs of the chair clanked to the ground as Bellamy righted himself with force and leveled a glare at the boy in front of him.

…

"Bellamy are you even listening to me?" Bellamy blinked as a hand waved in front of his face, pulling him from where his mind had wandered. Again. Grumpily, he leaned an elbow on the bar top and rested his chin in his hand as he looked at his sister. "Where has your head been lately, Bell? I feel like I have to anchor you to every conversation."

"You and me both." She heard Finn mumble as he rounded the bar and pulled food from the window to take to his table.

"I'm sorry, O." he said earnestly, "What were you saying?"

Octavia blew out an annoyed breath and flung her hair over her shoulder dramatically, leaning across the bar. "I was asking you if you wanted to do anything special over fall break." Her eyes looked hopeful as she stared at her older brother. Bellamy heaved a deep sigh and ran a hand down his tired face.

"O, I promised Finn I'd help him with a gig. I'd bail if it wasn't such good money." Bellamy's heart dropped when he saw the disappointed look on his little sister's face. "But I promise you that I'll save up for one of the school breaks so that we can go somewhere or do something. Spring break, I'm yours." Octavia tapped the bar with her fingers – a tick she had picked up from watching her brother over the years – and leaned heavily against her own arm.

"I'll hold you to that." She muttered under her breath, drawing circles on the smooth bar top and watching her own fingers move. Bellamy heard a bell sound and removed several plates of food from the service window, balancing them precariously on his arms. The heat from each plate barely affected him, his nerves dull to the sensations after years of serving. He came around the bar and leaned in to kiss his little sister on the top of her head before carrying the plates to the correct table. His heart warmed as he watched the corner of her mouth tilt up into a hidden smile.

Bellamy had almost forgotten why he worked so hard and for whom. He vowed to keep from letting visions of a certain bodacious blonde occupy his mind and take away from the only other person who had ever mattered to him.

…

Clarke quietly walked down an elegant hallway, her nose buried deep into a paperback book. There was no need for her to tear her eyes from the pages. She grew up running these halls. She could walk them blindfolded and dodge every sharp corner and potted plant. She equally adored and hated how at home she felt within the suffocating mansion. She paused after hearing muffled voices coming from her father's study. Jake Griffin was a private man. He did what he could to soundproof the large room where he conducted his business dealings, but there was not much he could do to block the angry voices quickly rising in volume. Clarke quickly back-stepped and tilted her head closer to the crack in the door. The thick wood doors made it nearly impossible to make out actual words of what was being said. Only that it was being said loudly. She stood so close she could feel her ear lightly brush against the wood of the door.

"Clarke? What're you doing by the study?" Clarke's heart felt like it almost burst from her chest as she jumped from the unexpected presence coming up the stairs. She turned to face her mother coming up the ornate staircase, her satin house robe sweeping out behind her. Clarke was momentarily distracted by the suspicion on her own mother's face and took a large step away from the alcove that the doors were settled in.

"Just looking for Dad." Clarke lied and tucked her forgotten paperback against her chest. She held it like a shield between her and her mother. What Clarke felt like she needed protection from, she had no idea.

"Well he has some business associates in there. They're discussing some changes to a few of the clubs." Abigail Griffin spoke slowly, eyeing her face as if to catch Clarke in a lie. "Go on and get ready, we're going out for dinner tonight."

Clarke reluctantly stepped away from the study doors, the muffled voices no longer audible. She had known about her father's business dealings for years – even accepted them on some level, but she couldn't seem to shake the pit in her stomach this time.

…

The little café had become a haven after a long night of drinking too much and staying out too late. The dull overhead lights eased the aching in their eyes and the coffee was just strong enough to bite through their bitter hangovers. The group sat at one of the booths tucked off to the side, giggling as they each retold different events that had happened the night before. Clarke leaned back in the wide bench seat with a smile tugging at her lips as she looked around their ragtag group of friends. Jasper and Monty had rolled several straw wrappers into balls and were attempting to land them in other's drinks, specifically Ravens. As if on instinct, Raven covered the top of her coffee mug with her hand, all the while not breaking from the conversation she was having with Octavia.

Clarke's eyes glazed over as she thought about the night before. It had been over a month since she had run into Bellamy. She hadn't been able to help the way her eyes scanned each party they went to; hoping to land on dark curls, hoping to catch him by the keg or at the beer pong table. She hated herself for the ache in her stomach when he wasn't there. She knew she was being unreasonable. The only interaction they had ever had was when they were at each other's throats with biting words or secretly hooking up with each other. And that had only happened twice. She could vaguely hear the sounds of the conversation around her, hearing more of the vibrations of the words and not making out the actual words themselves. Faintly, she heard a bell jingle as someone walked in the door but did not register it until someone was climbing over the back of the booth and plopping down next to her on the vinyl; squeezing tightly between her and Raven.

"Hey little Blake." Clarke's eyes roamed the profile of the boy beside her, immediately agitated that her personal space had been invaded. She noted he was conventionally attractive with shoulder length hair and teasing brown eyes. Eyes a much lighter shade than the ones she had found herself looking for every Saturday night. He turned those eyes on her, flashing a bright smile and winking in her direction; but Clarke saw something flash in his eyes as he looked at her. _Recognition._

Clarke visibly swallowed. _Where would we know each other from?_ Clarke blanched at the thought that this boy might be connected to her family in some way.

"Finn," Octavia rolled her eyes at him as if he was annoying her just by being there. "Where's your sidekick?"

As if on cue, Bellamy strolled into the café and his eyes landed on Clarke. Her skin prickled under his gaze as she reminisced on the memories of what it felt like to be under much more than his stare. He shoved his hands in his pockets and casually walked to the booth. Octavia attempted to shoo over the rest of the people in the booth to make room for him before he grabbed a chair from a nearby table and turned it to sit at the head of the table. He met Clarke's eyes again and she looked away as casually as she could before catching Finn glance between her and Bellamy knowingly. Clarke's mind jumped to an early morning she had willed herself to forget as her mind flooded with hurried 'good mornings' and awkward rushing. Finn must've been the guy in the kitchen. The realization that he wasn't involved with her family made Clarke relax down deeper into the booth. The realization that he knew what transpired between her and Bellamy made her cheeks tint with a light pink and she tensed up again.

"Hey Bell. I'm surprised we didn't see you out last night." Bellamy tore his eyes away from Clarke long enough to fix a sweet smile on his sister. Clarke watched his lips move over the words while he spoke.

"I had assignments to finish." Bellamy avoided Clarke's direction and took the opportunity to look around the rest of the table, making a mental note of how close Jasper was sitting to Octavia. The younger boy stirred under Bellamy's stare.

"Big Blake has become quite the student." Finn teased, reaching over to pull part of Raven's muffin to his mouth.

"By all means… Have some muffin." Raven grumbled and leveled a glare at the brunette. He replied with a smile and playful nudge with his elbow. Brushing crumbs off of his hands, he extended one to the obviously pissed off girl next to him.

"Finn Collins. Tall, dark, and brooding's partner in crime." It was said with such a matter-of-factness it was immediately perceived to be true. It wasn't a reach to believe this mischievous trouble maker who made himself comfortable regardless of not being invited.

Raven loosely shook his hand and rolled her eyes to the back of her head at the same time. She introduced herself, as well as the others sitting around the table. Clarke found her eyes being drawn back to Bellamy at the head of the table like the group's impromptu ringleader. Suddenly the café felt stifling. Mumbling something about needing to make a call, Clarke slid out of the booth and walked to the door of the café with purpose. Her bare arm brushed against the back of Bellamy as she walked by his chair and she didn't particularly care for the goosebumps that erupted over her skin.

Once outside, Clarke rested against the brick wall of the café and closed her eyes. Her head scratched against the rough brick but she hardly noticed. She felt the looming presence next to her before she opened her eyes and saw him. Bellamy leaned against the wall next to her, cupping his hands around his mouth to block the wind and light a cigarette. Clarke glared through the tendrils of smoke.

"Long time no see, Princess."

"Do you mind?" Clarke waved her hand through the smoke, wafting it away from her face.

"Then maybe you shouldn't stand next to the ash tray." Clarke looked to her right to see a grey standing ash tray. She turned and faced Bellamy now, leaning her side against the brick wall.

"Are you here to chastise me for hanging out with Octavia again?" She deflected.

Bellamy took a long drag from his cigarette and leveled with Clarke's defiant glare. He didn't answer her question and opted for focusing on the way her chest heaved with forced anger.

"Stop looking at me." Clarke demanded.

"Where would you like me to look then, Princess?" Bellamy taunted her. Cocking an eyebrow while a smirk played at the corner of his lips. Clarke huffed and pushed off the wall to walk back into the café. She didn't owe him a conversation. She didn't owe him anything. A strong grip on her upper arm turned her back around to a haze of smoke. "If Octavia gets hurt from being around you, I will make you wish you stayed away from the beginning."

Clarke yanked her arm out of Bellamy's grasp and narrowed her blue eyes, staring directly into his dark brown ones. Her heart rate increased at the implication of his words. Bellamy obviously knew more about her life than she first figured. The life she had taken precautions to keep hidden from the friends she had made at school. For once, Clarke struggled to find the words she so badly wanted to use as a weapon against him. Wordlessly, she plucked his cigarette out from his fingers and dropped it on the ground to stomp out with her toe. Bellamy's mouth dropped open like he couldn't believe the audacity. Smirking, Clarke turned to return to her friends and left Bellamy to stare at her retreating form.

…

Clarke told herself that she wanted to go out because she was trying to get the most out of her time at school. She told herself it wasn't because she was forced to interact with Bellamy Blake and that her strong craving for something strong in her glass wasn't a result of their heated words outside of the café. _So much for being a haven._ She shuffled her feet when she climbed out of the taxi, waiting for her other friends to climb out behind her. She reached down to tug on the top of her black, velvet thigh-high boots and then moved to adjust the tight olive green dress. The dress hugged her body like a second skin and the hemline stopped a generous amount above her knees. It was an outfit her dad never would have allowed her to leave the house in and that thought made her feel rebellious and daring.

The rest of the group piled out of the cab and made their way to the front door of the house. Other students were milling around on the lawn with red solo cups in their hands and the sound of music inside was significantly muffled. Clarke and Octavia threaded their fingers together so as to not lose each other as they stepped into the crowded house together. It was significantly warmer in the house and Clarke felt sweat prickle at her collarbone while they weaved their way through the crowd. Finding an open spot, Octavia pulled a small bottle of vodka and two shot glasses out of her purse. Filling the glasses to the rims, the girls clinked them together and tipped them back in one breath. Clarke grimaced as the shot burned down her throat and reverberated in her stomach. _Let the night begin._

…

Clarke wasn't sure how long they had been in the house. She could feel her hair getting frizzier in the intense heat inside. Bodies seemed to be all around her but they moved in slow motion as Clarke's alcohol riddled brain slowed the world around her. Octavia and Raven were on the dance floor dancing flush against each other, laughing while some of the surrounding guys watched appreciatively. Jasper and Monty had long since stumbled down to the basement with another group to break out the stash of weed they had brought. She stumbled outside, taking deep breaths of the fresh air like she hadn't been breathing the entire time she had been inside. She stumbled around the corner and her eyes fell on a familiar back. He was talking to Finn and another girl, all three of them smoking by the side of the house.

Finn noticed her first. She struggled walking in a straight line to the group and the walk seemed to take ages. Clarke was surprised it was still dark out it had taken so long to get to the object of her attention. Finn tilted his head towards her to acknowledge her presence and signaled Bellamy to turn around. "Harper, why don't I make you my signature drink. I guarantee it'll be the best thing you won't remember." Finn confidently took the girl's hand and led her around the corner, leaving Bellamy and Clarke alone.

Neither broke the silence at first and they just stared at each other. Clarke swaying on her feet slightly and Bellamy puffing on the cigarette between his lips. Clarke's lips and throat suddenly felt dry and she struggled to form the words she wanted to.

"Those things will kill you." She settled on accusingly, nodding towards the cigarette in his hand.

"Says the girl whose liver won't make it to her senior year."

"I'll have you know I have a very strong liver." Clarke accentuated her point by poking her index finger into his chest. Bellamy grabbed her hand before she could pull it away and yanked her closer to him. She drunkenly lost her footing and tumbled into him, giving him an excuse to put his hand on her waist to steady her. The couple stared at each other, not saying anything.

They were far from alone. They knew just around the corner at the front of the house people were taking in the fresh air. They knew that just inside were dozens of people. Yet, they stared at each other like they were alone. Bellamy tugged on Clarke again and she stumbled to lean against the side of the house. Bellamy pressed against her, still just staring in her eyes almost predatorily. Clarke splayed her hand on his chest and could feel that his heart was pounding just as hard as hers. She briefly thought about pushing him away for being so bold, but she was more interested in finding out if his curls were as soft as they looked. Her hand slowly slid up his chest and around the back of his neck to tangle her fingers in the locks at the nape of his neck.

Bellamy's breath caught in his throat and he watched Clarke's eyes flick down to his lips. "I should go find Finn." He said, forcing the words out. His voice cracked as the words slipped through his dry throat.

"You should." Clarke agreed, but neither of them moved.

"You should go home before you get in trouble." Bellamy leaned down closer to her face, watching her eyes flutter shut the closer he got.

"I should." Clarke agreed again, so close to Bellamy that their lips ghosted against each other. Bellamy pressed against her lips softly, as if he were trying to not spook a wild animal. Clarke responded by closing her fist in his curls and aggressively bringing his lips against hers again. Bellamy groaned into her mouth and pushed her harder against the house. The siding dug into Clarke's back but she couldn't bring herself to care as she melded her body against his. Bellamy's hands roamed over her hip, bunching the fabric of the dress in his hand and hiking it up. His tongue brushed against hers and Clarke responded by nipping at his lower lip. Bellamy ground his hips against her, eliciting a guttural moan that sounded like heaven.

"Bellamy…" His heart constricted at the sound of his name coming from her mouth. He wanted to hear it again. He ran his hand down her outer thigh and moved slowly back up her inner thigh, getting closer and closer to the hem of her dress. Bellamy vaguely thought about how impractical such short dresses were, but the thought was quickly rushed out of his mind as his fingers hit lace and he thanked the stars for whoever started the trend of impractically short dresses. Clarke's breath hitched in her throat and her head tilted back against the house. Bellamy peppered kisses down her neck, taking his time on the outside of the lace.

"I DON'T KNOW OCTAVIA. I DIDN'T SEE THEM OUT HERE." They heard Finn practically yell from the front of the house. Clarke and Bellamy broke away from each other, chests heaving.

"Why are you yelling? Stop being weird." Octavia's voice drifted around the corner as the two continued to stare at each other. Bellamy cleared his throat and took a large step away from the blonde in front of him. He fished his crushed pack of cigarettes out of his back pocket and shoved one between his lips before patting his pockets for his lighter. The air suddenly seemed frigid without his body against hers and he needed to do something with his hands. Clarke was still leaning against the side of the house like she was frozen when Octavia wandered around the corner.

"There you guys are. What're you two doing out here?" Octavia made her way to the pair and crossed her arms over her chest to fight off the chilling night air. Finn followed behind her apologetically.

"Princess here was just lecturing me on healthy habits." Bellamy tilted his head up and blew smoke, never breaking eye contact with Clarke. Her eyes narrowed at him.

"It's a bad habit to have." Clarke bit out. She wasn't sure if she was angry at the fact she had given in to Bellamy again or the fact they had been interrupted. Maybe she was just angry in general.

"I seem to have a few habits I can't shake." Bellamy winked behind his sister's head and Clarke shivered at the double meaning behind his words. Octavia didn't seem to notice.

"Do you guys want to share a cab home? I think Raven and I are ready to take off. Jasper and Monty are hanging out longer." Octavia reached for Bellamy's cigarette and took a long drag.

"Bellamy and I drove here. Besides, we have a lot to catch each other up on." Finn stood next to Bellamy, his lips setting into an uncharacteristically stern line. Bellamy never took his eyes off of Clarke.

"Suit yourselves." Octavia shrugged, pulling Clarke's hand. "Be safe, Bell!" she called over her shoulder. When the two girls disappeared around the corner, Finn let out of long breath through his teeth.

"So the 'avoiding Clarke Griffin' thing is going swimmingly, I see."

Bellamy didn't answer his roommate, choosing to instead run his hands up and down his face and through his hair, tugging on the ends. "I'm fucked."

Finn couldn't even laugh.


End file.
